Pioneer 2011 02 25

FEBRUARY 25, 2011 WWW.OCCC.EDU/PIONEER COVERING OCCC SINCE 1978

INSIDE IONEEROKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PEDITORIAL

OPINION, p. 2

Senior Writer Jeremy Cloud says many eating disorders are brought on by distorted views. Read his thoughts.

MEDIA PUTS TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON BEING THIN

To comment on stories, or to access the latest news, features, multimedia, online exclusives and updates, visit occc.edu/pioneer.

CAMPUS LIFE

COMMUNITY p. 10

A recent campus blood drive netted the Oklahoma Blood Institution 64 units. Still, there is a need for more donations. Find out how to help and where to go.

OBI SAYS CAMPUS BLOOD DRIVE A SUCCESS

AROUND CAMPUS

CAMPUS, p. 7

Michael Snyder’s work “Beetles Is Gone” was recently published in an Oklahoma writer’s anthology. Read the story behind his work.

PROFESSOR’S POETRY PUBLISHED

PIONEER ONLINE

RECREATION

SPORTS, p. 8

From swimming to weights and a gym, OCCC makes it affordable to stay in shape. See more.

Rachel MoRRison/PioneeR

OCCC part-time professor Tyrone Stanley performs a song from his musical “Soul on Fire” with cast member Jayvion and Stanley’s gospel choir “Wings of Harmony.” The group performed at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Oklahoma City during the Black Heritage Month Concert Feb. 20.

Artistically speaking

COLLEGE OFFERS FREE WORKOUTS

Proposed legislation aimed at students

President honored for leadership Paul Sechrist named one of state’s most admired CEOs

See SECHRIST page 9

MORGAN BEARDStaff [email protected]

From scholarships, loans and Pel l

grants, students across the state have options to turn to for financial relief and now, one more may be added to that list.

State Sen. John Sparks has proposed legislation that would make all full-time higher education students exempt from state income taxes.

Numerous attempts to reach Sparks by phone and e-mail went unan-swered but in a recent press release, he acknowl-

edges the hardships stu-dents may face while at-tanding college and also being in the work force.

“We need to do all we can for students who are struggling to make ends meet,” Sparks said.

According to a press release, SB 1091 would exempt any full-time

JOEY [email protected]

OCCC President Paul Sechrist was

among the honorees for The 2nd Annual Oklahoma’s Most Ad-mired CEOs, hosted by the Journal Record newspaper at an awards ceremony held Feb. 17 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Mu-seum in Oklahoma City.

Sechrist was honored for his work in a Non-Profit with more than $10 million in annual revenue.

The criteria for selec-tion included: leadership and vision, community leadership and service, corporate leadership and service, competitiveness and innovation and fi-nancial performance and growth.

“The event was an op-portunity to showcase many of Oklahoma’s great companies and non-profit organiza-tions,” Sechrist said.

The importance of the event was emphasized by the attendance of Gov. Mary Fallin, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, and Secretary of Commerce Dave Lopez, he said.

“Being named as one of Oklahoma’s Most Ad-mired CEOs provided me with an opportunity to recognize the great work of OCCC’s dedi-cated faculty and staff, and inform a wide audi-ence of the tremendous value OCCC brings to the state,” he said.

The President’s Cabinet nominated Sechrist for the award with support from the OCCC Board of Regents. Marion Paden, vice president for En-rollment and Student

See SB 1091 page 9

Oklahoma college stu-dent from paying state income tax, regardless of age.

OCCC Meteorology major Kyle Tanner would be one of the many to possibly benefit from Sparks’ bill.

Paul Sechrist

Body image not one size for all

MaRk PaRisi/offtheMaRk.coM

College attorney clarifies state gun bill YOUR VOICE | Guns would not be allowed in classroom

To the Editor:In a Feb. 4 article,

“Conceal carry State Bill 858 being debated,” and again in a Feb. 11, edito-rial, “SB 858 a bad idea

According to the National Eating Disorders Asso-ciation website, nearly 10 million females and 1 mil-lion males struggle with eating disorders every day

Over the past week, OCCC has observed National Eating Disorder Awareness Week with free screen-ings, an informative panel and a brown bag lunch.

Although these events, and others like them around the nation, raise awareness of various eating disorders, there is not enough attention paid to the underly-ing cause.

The NEDA website states that eating disorders are com-plex and arise from a variety of factors, including media influence.

“Media images that help to create cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness are often acknowledged as being

among those factors contributing to the rise of eat-ing disorders.”

Young people in our culture today are bombarded day in and day out with messages and images that demonstrate the social desirability of achieving “the perfect weight.”

Singers and actors, the role models for youth to-day, are nearly always trim. Those who aren’t often come under subtle pressures to lose weight for health or image reasons.

From well-publicized examples such as Oprah’s ongoing struggle maintain an ideal weight, Jennifer

Hudson’s work to lose weight, and the constant cover-age of celebrity magazines focusing on weight gain in a negative light, media representation of anything other than a perfect Barbie doll-like figure as bad abounds in our society.

True, there are health concerns that make losing weight a valid choice, such as congestive heart failure and diabetes.

But simple changes to diet and an exercise regimen can help to maintain good health.

The problem is image. It is reinforced, over and over, that in order to be popular, successful, or attrac-tive, one has to fit a certain mold, a certain image.

According to the NEDA, “80 percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.”

That number is ridiculous. No one should have to go through life worrying that he or she isn’t attractive or successful enough over a few extra pounds.

This is a problem that, as a society, we cannot af-ford to ignore. For females age 15 to 24 who suffer from anorexia nervosa, the mortality rate associated with the illness is 12 times higher than the death rate of all other causes of death, according to the NEDA.

There are solutions. Health classes taught in elementary and high schools can educate children about the dangers of extreme dieting and different body types.

Media companies can work to change society’s mindset by not focusing so much on certain body images, acknowledging social role models like Mo’Nique and Queen Latifah, and hiring people based on pure talent instead of if they fit the popular image.

EDITORAL| Eating disorders need more spotlight

Jeremy Cloud

And fashion designers could focus on producing styles that don’t require their customers to look like runway models.

All of these solutions and many more could help stem the tide of eating disorders. Something needs to be done to help young people today learn to love their bodies, and soon.

Because there are kids out there, right now, who are slowly killing themselves trying to look like their heroes.

—Jeremy CloudSenior Writer

all around,” Editor Joey Stipek reports advocates of SB 858 say the bill would permit concealed carry on campus but not inside classrooms.

The text of SB 858, available on the Okla-homa Senate website at http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/textofmea-sures/textofmeasures.

aspx, does not distin-guish between concealed carry of weapons in classrooms as opposed to on college campuses in general.

If enacted as currently drafted, SB 858 would permit concealed weap-ons in the classroom.

—Nancy GerrityGeneral Counsel

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2 • FEBRUARY 25, 2011 PIONEER | OCCC.EDU/PIONEER

OPINION

IONEEROKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PWhitney Knight..................Online EditorBonnie Campo........................PodcasterCaleb Barrette..................VideographerRobert Bolton...................Video BloggerJohn Weis.............................WebmasterAzizakhon Mansuri.........Graphic DesignAaron Donahue......Circulation Manager Ronna Austin......................Lab DirectorShawn Stawicki.................Lab AssistantSue Hinton....................Faculty Adviser

7777 S. May Oklahoma City, OK 73159

phone:405-682-1611, ext. 7409

e-mail:[email protected]

The PIONEER is a publication of Oklahoma City Community College through the Division of Arts and Humanities. It is published weekly during the 16-week fall and spring semesters and the eight-week summer session.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the PIONEER, the college or the publisher.

The PIONEER welcomes letters to the editor and encourages the use of this publication as a community forum. All letters must include the author’s name, address, phone number and signature. E-mail letters should include all but the signature. The PIONEER will withhold the author’s name if the request is made in writing. The PIONEER has

the right to edit all letters and submissions for length, libel and obscenity. Letters should be fewer than 250 words. Students must list their major. OCCC staff and faculty must list their work title.

Letters to the editor can be submitted to the PIONEER office, located in room 1F2 on the first floor of the Art and Humanities Building, mailed to 7777 S. May Ave., Oklahoma City, Okla. 73159, faxed to 405-682-7843, or submitted via e-mail to [email protected] with a phone number for verification included. The PIONEER ONLINE also can be accessed at www.occc.edu/pioneer.

Color printing this semester is paid for, in part, from a grant from OPUBCO Communications Group.

Vol. 39 No. 23Joey Stipek....................................EditorJeremy Cloud.....................Senior WriterMorgan Beard........................Staff WriterErin Peden.............................Staff WriterChristy Johnson.....................Staff WriterHolly Walker...............Community WriterJacob Chambers................Sports WriterRachel Morrison...............PhotographerYasmin Shirali...................PhotographerCynthia Praefke.....Advertising Manager

Prof speaks out about HB 1551YOUR VOICE | Writer says intelligent design lacks evidence

YOUR VOICE | President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching will be awarded at graduation

To the Editor:State Rep. Kern and

State Sen. Breechen have recent ly introduced legislation (HB 1551, SB 554, respectively), addressing the meth-ods and philosophy of teaching “controversial’’ scientific topics includ-ing evolution and global warming.

Breechen’s bill in par-ticular contains specific curricular adoptions lifted directly from the Texas state science stan-dards adopted there in 2009.

These were widely rid-iculed by no fewer than 54 scientific and educa-tional societies.

His stated goal as late as this last December was to “ ... teach the de-bate of creation vs. evo-lution using the known science, even that which conflicts with Darwin’s religion.”

B o t h b i l l s g u a r d against persecution of students or teachers that present such scientific

evidence that contradicts the current models, but examples of such evi-dence is never presented.

The strategy of such legislative efforts has changed over time. Af-ter brazenly unconsti-tutional initial efforts failed in courts in other states, current bills uti-lize a “wedge’’ strategy to use reasonable language and innuendo to foster the impression that a legitimate scientific de-bate is not being fairly considered.

Ought we promote an environment of critical thinking and a presen-tation of scientific evi-dence? Absolutely.

The importance of questioning and modi-fying models over time should be a large compo-nent of any science class.

In singling out par-ticular theories these legislators feel are con-troversial, however, they are attempting to foment mistrust in the scientific enterprise itself.

Nearly universally, ex-perts who spend their lives researching and investigating these fields emphatically report that there is no controversy.

The model explaining that all extant species share common ances-tors in the past is be-yond reasonable dispute and is independently supported by biology, nuclear physics, geology, astronomy, chemistry, and molecular genetics.

Where is any scien-tific evidence against the common ancestry of species (or global warming, for that mat-

ter) that they would like to see presented and that hasn’t been thoroughly refuted?

We have truly re-gressed again to the me-dieval if we allow rank amateurs and politicians who can’t be bothered to learn the science in the first place to encourage confusion and suspicion of standard explanations they don’t particularly like.

The right authority to correct scientific theo-ries is science and sci-entists themselves, not a legislative end-run at-tempting to legitimize fashionable ideas.

Science expands our understandings of the possible, and the uni-verse exists outside of our imaginations.

If we allow the power of science to be con-strained by our personal incredulity, we inevitably succumb to a hubris of ignorance.

—Tad Thurston Physics Professor

To the Editor:The President’s Award

for Excellence in Teach-ing is presented during the spring of each year to a full-time faculty member who exempli-fies teaching excellence. The office of the Vice President for Academ-ic Affairs administers the process of receiving nominees and develop-ing recommendations to the President.

To be considered for this award a faculty member may be nomi-nated by a fellow faculty

member, by a current or former student, or by a staff member.

Nominees wi l l be asked to complete a ref-erence sheet supplying personal and profession-al information.

After a review of all nominations, a selection committee appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs will recommend three can-didates.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs will then forward the recom-mended candidates to

the President who will make the final selection. Criteria for selection include:• a high degree of pro-fessional competence exhibited by knowledge and expertise that is ex-tensive and current;• ef fect ive teaching methods that demon-strate quality, creativity, and resourcefulness, as well as clear, accurate and effective communi-cation;• enthusiasm and a strong commitment to teaching in general and

a genuine concern, com-mitment, and fairness to students; and• contribution to the teaching profession at the institutional, state, or national level.

The recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teach-ing will be announced during commencement exercises. At that time, the recipient will be pre-sented a plaque and cash award of $1,000 to com-memorate this honor.

The award is for the 2010-2011 school year.

All nomination forms must be returned by the fourth Friday in March, to the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (in area 1A3 on the first floor of the Main Building).

Nomination forms

can be printed by go-ing to: www.occc.edu/AcademicAffairs/Fac-ultyForms and clicking on President’s Award for Excellence.

—Felix J. AquinoVice President for

Academic Affairs

Nominees being accepted for award

“ The right authority to correct scientific theories is science and

scientists themselves …”—Tad ThursTon

Physics Professor

Q.: Where are the paper recycling bins?

A.: The paper recycling bins are in all of the division offices, most of the computer rooms, and the big offices.

—Gary Phillips Building and Campus

Services Supervisor

Q.: Why are books so expensive?

A.: We don’t set the price of books beyond a 25 percent markup from the publisher’s sales price.

—Brenda Reinke Bookstore Director

Q.: Why is the food so expensive?

A.: We haven’t raised our prices in several years, but we try to stay competitive. Our prices aren’t that high when compared to other estab-lishments in colleges and restaurants.

—Corinne Aguilar Carson’s Catering Manager

Q.: How can students find out information about clubs and organizations on campus?

A.: … Go to the office of student life web-page, and one of the links on the left is club resources, or join a club tab. Click there and you will be able to find more information that will basically explain all the information students need to know.

—Liz LargentStudent Development Dean

Q.: How do I get a letter published in the Pioneer?

A.: Submit a letter to the editor by e-mailing it to [email protected] or dropping it by 1F2 in the Arts and Humanities area. All letters must include a name and a contact number. However, you can request that your name be withheld. Letters will run in the order they are received, and may be edited for length and libel and obscenities.

—Ronna AustinPioneer Lab Director

PIONEER | OCCC.EDU/PIONEER FEBRUARY 25, 2011 • 3

COMMENTS AND REVIEWS

When it comes to thrillers, villains are a dime a dozen. You’ve got monsters, madmen and the occasional alien or two.

In “Unstoppable ,” however, the bad guy is no mutated dinosaur or crazy ex.

Instead, it’s a runaway train barreling through a series of Pennsylvania towns at speeds of more than 70 miles per hour — a disturbingly real possibility that makes Freddy Krueger look

as intimidating as Fred Flinstone.

“Unstoppable” was re-leased on DVD Feb. 15.

The film wastes no

It was a cold and windy Saturday on the night of Feb. 12 when Tracy Law-rence took the stage at Cowboys in Oklahoma City. The popular night-spot was a packed house for most of the night.

When Lawrence finally walked on stage around 10 p.m. the crowd lit up with excitement.

Girls in attendance were screaming, “Paint Me a Birmingham!”

Lawrence did a won-der f u l j ob ke eping the crowd energized throughout the show

with witty comments, showing his fun side.

“Here is a song for all the hot grandmas out there,” Lawrence said.

Not only was there a great country and west-ern performance, Cow-boys also had live bull riding scheduled for that evening, as the nightclub usually does only on the weekends.

Once Lawrence started playing his former hits “Texas Tornado” and “I See It Now,” people hur-ried to the dance floor and starting pairing up.

time jumping straight into the action. In the first 10 minutes, we see a lazy engineer (Ethan Suplee) fail to connect

The only drawback of the entire experience was the unbearable heat in the building.

Many sought refuge outside in the cooler air, only to be told the club was at max capacity and that they must wait until some people left to re-enter.

Fortunately, there was plenty of good conversa-tion going on between those waiting to get back inside. Once back inside people were happy to help themselves to ice cold beverages and con-

a locomotive’s air hose. The result is a coaster

train packing highly haz-ardous, flammable cargo. With no one on board, the locomotive essen-tially becomes a deadly missile, carrying more than 10 million pounds of combustible mate-rial straight toward the heavily populated town of Stanton.

Caught up in the chaos, veteran train engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and a rookie conductor

tinue enjoying a great performance by one of country music’s most popular artist from the 1990s.

When Lawrence final-ly played “Paint Me a Bir-mingham,” the place lit up with people singing, dancing, and cheering.

If that show was any indication of what to always expect, I would recommend seeing Law-rence if the opportunity presents itself.

Rating: A—Jacob Chambers

Staff Writer

Tracy Lawrence puts on a good show

After all the pop culture hubris on music blogs over the last two weeks over the Grammys, it seems almost as if Radiohead released their eighth studio album, “The King of Limbs” as a response to all the chatter.

Released as a digital download or in CD & vinyl pack-ages from www.thekingoflimbs.com, “The King of Limbs” might just be their most experimental outing to date.

Recalling previous Radiohead albums such as “Kid A” with Thom Yorke’s solo album, “The Eraser,” Radiohead mixes light percussion, ambient sounds and elements of light jazz to produce an album spanning eight tracks and 37 minutes which is both inviting, calming and chilled.

Casual listeners might be put off by some tracks such

as “Morning Mr Magpie,” and “Codex,” but longtime Ra-diohead fanatics will know them by heart by the time this review receives publication.

Lead single “Lotus Flower” sounds like classic Radio-head songs off of “Kid A,” “In Rainbows,” and “Hail to the Thief.”

If any one band deserves the commotion of the music community this month, it certainly isn’t Lady Antebel-lum or even the Arcade Fire.

Radiohead deserves all of the acclaim for continuing to push boundaries and blaze trails in music.

Rating: A—Joey Stipek

Editor

Radiohead delivers 37 minutes of chilled sound

Will Colson (Chris Pine) set into motion a plan to stop the train before it causes mass destruction.

The result is a breath-taking, thrill-a-minute action flick with enough explosions and high-speed chases to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Although “Unstop-pable” lasts only an hour and a half, not a second of the film is wasted.

While most thrillers are high on action and low on heart, director

Tony Scott manages to flawlessly combine the two for a shockingly well-rounded film.

If you missed the “Un-stoppable” train when it first rolled into theaters, you best jump onto it now that it’s made a stop at your local DVD re-tailer.

“Unstoppable” is rated PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and strong language.

Rating: A-—Whitney Knight

Online Editor

‘Unstoppable’ exciting, action-packed movieTracy Lawrence


COMMENTS AND REVIEWS


G.I. bill changes both good and bad

VETERANS BENEFIT TIME EXTENDED; PAY PERIOD CHANGED

JASON ABBOTTNews Writing Student

For veterans using the Chap-ter 33 Montgomery G.I. Bill to attend college, there is good news and bad news.

The good news is that chang-es in the bill will result in benefits that stretch out for a longer period of time.

The bad news is that monthly Basic Housing Allowance will only be paid during the time periods when veteran students are actually attending classes. The new rules take effect Aug. 1

“I personally believe it to be good because it extends their time,” said Veteran Services Coordinator Janis Armstrong.

“But it could also be bad for those that rely on that money as an income source.”

At this time, the Chapter 33 G.I. Bill, commonly known as the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, pays living expenses to any veteran attending class at an accredited college for a total of 36 months.

The bill pays 100 percent of the living allowance for as long as the veteran is enrolled full time or three-quarter time.

It pays through the holiday seasons and all other breaks in school terms, according to www.gibill.va.gov.

The change in August will put the Chapter 33 pay scale on the same scale as Chapter 30, the pre-9/11 G.I. Bill.

This means if a veteran goes to school three-quarter time, then he or she will be paid 80 percent of housing allowance. Payment will be rounded to the nearest tenth of a dollar.

During breaks when school is not in session, there will be no distribution of funds, ac-cording to www.gibill.va.gov.

On Oct. 1, Post 9/11 veterans will see an expansion in the way they can use their benefits.

The change will not only give students more months to finish a degree program, but also it will extend the uses and

applications of the bill. After the change goes into

effect, Chapter 33 education funds can be used for on-the-job training as well as most non-accredited degree pro-grams and apprenticeships, ac-cording to www.gibill.va.gov.

Marine veteran Shane Nix said the change won’t make much difference to him.

“I like that it can keep the money going towards what it was meant for,” he said. “But it could hurt veterans who use Chapter 33 as a source of in-come. For veterans like myself, who go to school year round, it doesn’t affect me much.

“But I will feel the sting dur-ing the holiday months and the gap between spring and summer semesters.”

For further information on veterans benefits and how this affects you, contact Armstrong at 405-682-1611 ext. 7694 or at [email protected]. The Veterans Services office is located in 1F3(A) in the Main Building.

Photo illustRation by Rachel MoRRison/PioneeR

Veterans attending college using the Chapter 33

Montgomery G.I. Bill should make themselves aware of

changes in the benefits.

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Teacher advises parents to get involvedPARENTS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, PROF SAYS

LISA GILCREASENews Writing Student

More than half the school children in America are under-served by their public schools because the parents fail to get involved with their teachers and other school officials, said Joetta Gatliff, an expert in Early Childhood Development for Mustang Public Schools and adjunct professor at OCCC.

“Only 30 percent of our chil-dren are getting an appropriate education,” Gatliff said, in a free parenting workshop earlier this month at OCCC’s Family and Community Center.

Who are the children who receive an appropriate educa-tion?

“It’s the 30 percent whose parents are involved,” she said.

Gatliff impressed upon the 18 people in the audience that once your child enters public school, a lot of communication between parents and caregiv-ers is lost.

She said it is important to develop a relationship with the teachers and to ensure there is family involvement in the child’s education.

Dating Doctor to explore relationships with studentsCOLEMAN SPEAKS OF THE FIVE STAGES OF RELATIONSHIPS

HOLLY DAVIS WALKERCommunity [email protected]

David Coleman will return to OCCC at 2 p.m. on Thurs-day, March 10, to lecture on the topic of his newest book, “Making Relationships Mat-ter,” in CU 2 and CU3 of the College Union.

Known nationwide as the Dating Doctor, Coleman will speak about the five stages of relationships, the characteris-tics of healthy relationships, who is in control in relation-ships, and so much more.

“He provides advice about relationships and dating and

marriage, but he also provides i n f or m at i on about relation-ships between a parent and a child, between f r i e n d s , a l l types of rela-tionships,” said Jill Lindblad, coordinator of Service Learn-ing and Student Life Programs.

Lindblad said Coleman was invited back to OCCC because his lecture last year was such a success.

About 50 people showed up last year.

“We’re hoping for 80 or more this time,” he said. “He’s back

by popular demand. “What was really great about

last year’s lecture was that he stayed until he answered every student’s question.

“He almost missed his plane because he stayed here and an-swered everybody’s questions about relationships.”

Lindblad said Coleman un-derstands the average student.

“His original background is in student affairs, so he understands students, under-stands what students are going through because he’s studied it, he went to school for it, and he’s spoken on campus,” she said.

Lindblad said students should attend the lecture if they’re involved in any type of relationship.

“ He provides advice about relationships and dating and marriage, but he also provides information about

relationships between a parent and a child, between friends, all types of relationships,”

—Jill lindblad

coordinaTor of service learning and sTudenT life Programs.

“It’s a valuable resource avail-able at no cost to the student.

They’re getting free advice from a relationship expert that knows what he’s talking about. It’s definitely worth taking the time,” she said.

Lindblad said the lecture isn’t just about good relationships, but how to recognize and get out of bad relationships.

The lecture lasts about 50 minutes, with a question and answer session afterward that usually lasts about 20 minutes.

For more information on the lecture, contact Student Life at 405-682-7523 or stop by their office on the first floor of the Main Building.

Parents need to follow up and follow through.

“The child k n ow s t h at mom and dad re s p e c t t h e teacher and the teacher respects the mom and dad. There is a relationship there, and any time you have that relationship, the child is going to be more successful.”

Gatliff focused on making transitions easier from private child care to public school, emphasizing that it is a big transition in a child’s life.

Parents need to take steps be-fore school starts to help their child learn and be successful.

“So often transitions are hard even for us,” she said.

“We have to constantly ask how is our child’s life going to be impacted by this transi-tion?”

“How do we as parents help them transition to these very different worlds?”

Gatliff presented tips on what parents can do to help their child be successful.

• Know how you feel about

your child starting public school because your feelings can influence the child’s per-spective. Be sure about what you are saying to your child about school.

“If you have concerns, guess what? They are going to have them too.”

• Know your school district and where your child will be going to school. Do you know where the school is?

• Know the date and proper procedures of enrollment be-fore time to enroll your child in school, so you can ensure the process goes smoothly.

• Sometimes schools enroll months ahead of time. If you do not enroll at the proper time, you may not get the schedule you want for your child.

•Also, know the expectations of your school.

• What are their goals, and

are the expectations of the school developmentally ap-propriate?

“Is your school a literacy-first school? What is their state-ment of goals? It is important for things to be developmen-tally appropriate and we call them on it when it is not.”

Parents need to be the ex-perts on their children.

“As parents we’re going to have to be the ones with that voice,” she said.

She also gave advice on how parents can prepare for the first day of school.

• As a parent you can help make learning fun, help your children learn to follow two-step directions, and help them know appropriate behavior before they start school.

• Practice the steps they will go through on their first day of school.

• Drive by your children’s school and get them familiar with school and the process of how they will be dropped off and picked up through role play.

“Practice, practice, practice,” Gatliff said.

“Something as simple as ensuring children know their first and last names can be key to a happy first day,” she said.

“Children need to be able to communicate these things, which they may not have done very often in the past.

“Education is knowledge, and knowledge is power,” she said. “It is not just about what I do today with this child, but it is about how today affects them for the rest of their life.

“What we have to do as par-ents is we have to make it fun; we have to convince them that they can be successful.”

Gatliff has been teaching for more than 20 years and is a Na-tional Board Certified teacher.

For more information on upcoming Free Parenting Workshops e-mail Lee Ann Townsend, Child Develop-ment Center Lab Supervisor at [email protected].

“ So often transitions are hard even for us.We have to constantly ask how is our child’s life

going to be impacted by this transition,”—JoeTTa gaTliff

occc adJuncT Professor


English Professor Michael Snyder is a published author and poet as well as a Beatlemaniac. His poem “Beetles Is Gone” which is about the Beatles, has recently been published in the book “Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me.”

JOEY [email protected]

Michael Snyder is not a paperback writer but he is

a published author, poet and literary critic whose 16-page poem “Beetles Is Gone” was recently published in the Oklahoma writer’s anthology “Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me.”

The English and Humani-ties professor said “Beetles Is Gone” mirrors the title of a short story found in a James Purdy short story collection “Children Is All.”

“The title of ‘Beetles is Gone’ is grammatically incorrect and spelled like the insect,” Snyder said. “It is purposeful.

“I refer to the Beatles as Beetles throughout the poem in part because the poem deals with myths and legends — something that has been treated as godlike, something that has been worshipped and brings it to an earthlier level.

“It had a really cool ring to it with (the) colloquial speech of the (Purdy short story col-lection) ‘What’s that noise? Children Is All,’ so I mirrored that kind of grammatical con-struction in the title.”

Snyder said the idea for his poem just came to him “sort of like one of those muse-came-to-visit-me type experiences,” he said.

“I sat and wrote this whole poem in a few hours, but it is sort of like inspiration struck and I had to get it all down.”

Mongrel Empire Press, an independent book press based out of Norman, published the book Snyder’s poem is in.

Snyder said he met Mongrel Press Editor Jeanetta Calhoun Mish when he joined the Graduate Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma.

Mish said they had a class or two together striking an instant friendship.

She said they enjoyed dis-cussing Native American

literature and music.Mish was guest editing an

online literature magazine “Sugarmule” when Snyder asked her to read his poem.

When “Sugarmule” evolved into “Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me,” Mish decided to include Snyder’s poem in the book.

“I chose Michael Snyder’s poem ‘Beetles Is Gone’ because I enjoyed its smart and witty take on American popular culture,” Mish said.

“Snyder is a poetic DJ, sam-pling the sounds and imagery of America, and capturing how

we incorporate music and cul-ture from around the world,“ she said. “He shows us why The Beatles belong as much to us as they do to our cousins across the pond.

Mish said she particularly liked a reference to the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover which conspiracy theorists believed gave clues to band

member Paul McCartney be-ing dead.

Snyder grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He earned his under-graduate degree at Haverford College outside of Philadel-phia.

Snyder got his master’s degree in English at the Uni-versity of Colorado and his doctorate in English at the Uni-

versity of Oklahoma, where he was a teaching assistant and lecturer as well.

To read this story in its en-tirety, and learn more about Snyder’s poem and influences, go to the Pioneer Online at www.occc.edu/pioneer.

“Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me” is available online at www.bn.com for $17.84.

“ I sat and wrote this whole poem in a few hours, but it is sort of like inspiration struck and I had to get it all down.”

—michael snyder

english and humaniTies Professor

BEATLES INSPIRE PROFESSOR TO WRITE POEM

Professor’s poem published in Oklahoma collection

yasMin shiRali/PioneeR

• March 1: Body Sculpt-ing class on Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in room 003, in the OCCC Wellness Center. Classes run March 1 through March 31. For more information, call the Wellness Center at 405-682-1611, ext. 7310.

• March 1: Basketball Hot Shots Challenge for Men and Women meeting at noon in the OCCC Gym. The event takes place March 4 at the OCCC Gym in the Well-ness Center. Register on-line at www.imleagues.com/Schools/OCCC/Registration. For more information, con-tact the Wellness Center at 405-682-1611, ext. 7310.

• March 3: Badminton Co-Rec team meeting at noon in the OCCC Gym. Event takes place March 25 through April 29. Register online at www.imleagues.com/Schools/OCCC/Registration. For more information, contact the Wellness Center at 405-682-1611, ext. 7310. • March 23: Softball CoRec team meeting at noon in the OCCC Gym. Games will be held at Oklahoma City Uni-versity, 2501 North Black-welder Ave., starting April 9. Register online at www.imleagues.com/Schools/OCCC/Registration. For more information, contact the Wellness Center at 405-682-1611, ext. 7310. • March 30: Circuit Train-ing Level 3 meeting at noon in the OCCC Gym. Classes are Tuesdays and Thurs-days April 5 through April 28. Register online at www.imleagues.com/Schools/OCCC/Registration. For more information call the Wellness Center at 405-682-1611 ext. 7310.

Swimming, gym free to current studentsINTRAMURALS | A STUDENT ID PROVIDES ACCESS TO VARIETY OF WORKOUT AREAS

Jace Tyson, 8, perfects his basketball

skills at OCCC’s basketball courts. The basketball courts are

located at the Wellness Center and are available

to all students with a valid ID and community

residents.For more information

on using the college’s facilities, visit www.occc.

edu/RF/memberships.

yasMin shiRali/PioneeR

Have sports [email protected]

Practice makes perfect

JACOB CHAMBERSSports [email protected]

Students can work out for free in the college Wellness Center, said Charlie Tarver, sports and recreation assistant.

The Wellness Center is located on the southwest side of the Main Building.

Tarver said students can use the basketball and volleyball courts in the gym just by checking in at the desk first.

The hours for the weight room and basketball courts are Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, said Eric Watson recreation and sports specialist.

He said a dress code of tennis shoes and apparel other than jeans is required in the gym.

The OCCC weight room has free weights, flat bench, incline and decline

bench, a squat rack, and numerous machines for all different types of ex-ercising, Tarver said.

Lauren McKenzie, Wellness Center staff member, said students using the weight room must first sign in at the Wellness Center desk with their stu-dent ID.

Then, a wristband will be issued that must be worn while using the equip-ment.

Student Shane Fairchild said he is happy with the fact that the gym is free to students, and can usually get a full work out rather quickly.

“The OCCC gym meets all my needs,” Fairchild said.

An Olympic-sized pool also is free to use.

The hours of the Aquatic Center are 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Tuesdays the pool is open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Lifeguards are on duty during all operating hours. McKenzie said stu-dents using the Aquatic Center must sign in with a current OCCC ID, get a wristband, and shower before using the pool.

She said the changing rooms have two types of lockers — daily use lockers, and lockers that are available to rent for a six-month period.

She said students must provide their own locks for the daily use lockers, but the rentable lockers have combination locks on them.

All of this information and more can be found on the OCCC website at www.occc.edu/RF/Wellness-Hours, e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 405-682-7860.


SPORTS UPCOMINGINTRAMURALS

EVENTS


Sechrist: College leader says students inspire himContinued from page 1

Services, wrote a letter of recommendation on behalf of President’s Cabinet while former Regent Dave Lopez wrote a letter on behalf of the Board of Regents.

Lopez, in his letter, wrote: “The best of leaders ‘walk the talk’ and that is the case for Dr. Sechrist. Whether he is raising funds from fellow CEO’s for a new performing arts center at

OCCC or chatting with stu-dents on campus, Dr. Sechrist demonstrates his belief in the central mission of the college: to bring dreams to reality through education.”

Sechrist said he was humbled to accept the honor. At the banquet he spoke of OCCC’s mission and what inspires him everyday as the president and CEO of a large non-profit college.

“I was talking to a student

here recently and I asked if this was her first semester, and she said, ‘No, I have been here a couple of semesters and I want to tell you my story,’” he said.

Sechrist said the student came to get her adult basic education to prepare her for the GED because she had dropped out of high school.

“She received her GED and had scored highly on her test scores. The teachers were tell-ing her to attend college,” he

said.“The student was in her third semester at OCCC and she is a 4.0 student. She just wanted me to know how much she appreciated OCCC.”

Sechrist said stories like hers inspire him on a daily basis.

“Students inspire me, faculty inspire me, staff inspire me.

“If I ever get a little discour-aged or frustrated or the stress gets too high, (I) just walk around, talk to some faculty, talk to some students and my

Tanner said he a full-time student who also works 20 hours a week. He thinks the tax exemption would help him out.

“With the way the college fees are racking up, I believe this bill is a great thing for

students,” he said.Tanner acknowledged the

tax exemption would only save him a few extra dollars each month, but said it all adds up.

“Every little bit counts when it comes to paying our bills,” Tanner said. “Even if taxes are only $30 a month, over a year

that money could be used to-wards textbooks or other fees.”

Despite the savings the bill promises, students like Eryn Kammerzell focus on the bill’s potential side effects, such as coinciding with the current state budget deficit.

“Being exempt from income

taxes seems like a good idea right away,” Kammerzell said. “ … but in the long run, tuition and school fees might rise and students may end up paying more later on.”

Sparks said he recognizes the economic crisis but maintains his bill is for the better.

SB 1091: Student thoughts vary on proposalContinued from page 1

spirits are restored,” he said.Teresa Moisant, OCCC re-

gent, attended the ceremony. “It was a beautiful moment

for the college and the presi-dent,” she said.

Moisant said Sechrist’s ac-ceptance speech communi-cated the atmosphere of what the college has to offer.

“It could not have been more well written to make the com-munity aware of this gem in south Oklahoma City.”

“I’m aware that we are in a struggling economy, but I don’t believe we should balance the state budget on the backs of students,” Sparks said in the press release.

For more information or to contact Sparks’ office, call 405-521-5553.

Meet brings in more than 635 swimmersSTATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE DETERMINED AT AQUATIC CENTER

KIMBER MILLERNews Writing Student

The OCCC Aquatic Center

hosted more than 635 high school swimmers for the OS-SAA 5A and 6A State Swim-ming Championships Feb. 19.

The state championship meet was for all state qualifiers who had outstanding performances through-out the season.

The competition in-cluded local Oklahoma high schools such as Heritage Hall and Bishop McGuiness but also included rural Okla-homa high schools such as Pryor and Miami.

The day of events began at 10:30 a.m. with a heart-warm-ing race among 6A high school Special Olympians statewide.

State qualifiers later par-ticipated in a wide variety of events ranging from freestyle to individual medley events.

The 5A competition began at 4 p.m. and also kicked off

with another “awesome Special Olympics Race,” said meet director Amy Cassell, of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.

Winner of the boys 200-yard individual medley, Scott Solo-mon, from Booker T. Washing-ton High School in Tulsa, said

he believes his victory resulted from hours of practice.

Generally, the individual medley race entails four types of strokes which include the butterfly stroke, the back-stroke, the breaststroke, and a freestyle selection.

“I have been practicing two times a day since last April,” he said. “It was a lot of work, but I’m glad I won.”

Solomon said he has repre-sented his high school for the fourth year in a row.

ERIN PEDENStaff [email protected]

OKC Downtown College will present “A Visit with Okla-homa Poets” Thursday, March 3, at the Norick Downtown Library, 4th floor auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will include a panel discussion with four Oklahoma poets: Nathan Brown, Ken Hada, Carol Hamilton, and Sandra Soli, said English professor Bertha Wise.

Full Circle Bookstore, a co-sponsor of the event, will have books available for purchase and a book signing will follow at 8 p.m. after the discussion. Participants will also be allowed to bring their personal copies to be signed.

Bertha Wise said the event will be an enriching op-portunity.

“Each poet brings a wealth of experience and insight into the writing of poetry as well as how the state of Oklahoma has influenced them,” she said.

To attend this event, please RSVP to [email protected] or call 405-232-3382.

Oklahoma poets to be showcased March 3

The Fort Gibson Lady Tigers won their first 5A state crown at the meet, while Harrah took the 5A boys crown.

Among 6A schools, Edmond North won the girls champion-ship, while Jenks took first for the boys.

Some of the events at the meet included a boys 50-yard freestyle competition, a girls 200-yard medley relay competition, and a boys 100-yard butterfly competition.

Swimming official Jim Sul-lins served as a referee for the event.

His task was to make sure that the start and stopping ac-tions, along with the turns of the swimmers, complied with all of the rules of the OSSAA swimming manual.

“There is a neck referee and a starter referee to make sure that every move of the swimmers is being followed,” he said.

“The backstroke, breast-stroke and butterfly are in-

cluded in the events and must be done properly for a finalist to be named a champion.”

The annual event is held at the OCCC Aquatics Center in mid-February.

SARAH HUSSEINNews Writing Student

Students and staff donated 64 units at a recent blood drive on campus, falling short of the 80-unit goal set by the Oklahoma Blood Institute at the beginning of the process.

“This was the most successful drive OCCC has had in the past couple of years,” said Tanshanika Hill, the on-site mobile supervisor, about the drive Feb. 16 and 17.

At their 10 a.m. opening the first day, they already had multiple donors giving blood, being screened, and standing in line, which made the staff optimistic from the start.

Hill said they perform a blood drive at OCCC three times a year. This drive was deemed particularly im-portant because winter storms that hit the Oklahoma City area had reduced the supply. Hill said normal donors who go to OBI clinics could not get out to donate due to the snow and ice.

Also the drive was scheduled to coordinate with the Health and Fitness Fair being held on campus at the time.

One student described herself as a regular blood donor.

“I have given blood now 10 times and had time to give a double take today,” said Anna Kruskopp, an Administrative Officer Technology major. “I’m glad to help out.”

Blood donations top 60 unitsBrandi Elliott, an OBI employee, explained the

terminology.“Every double red blood cell donor provides double

the life-saving blood to those in need,” she said. “It’s the way to help most with one blood donation. In this procedure, the machine takes the blood out, separates the red blood cells and puts back plasma and some saline.

“A regular blood donation takes one hour, a double take donation takes one and a half hours.”

Hill said after a donor has given blood, the staff offers them snacks and drinks to replenish the body of what it just lost. They also suggest that donors refrain from heavy lifting or strenuous physical work for 24 hours.

Along with snacks and drinks, OBI always sends donors away with a token of appreciation. This time they gave out fleece gloves to protect against any possible upcoming storms.

For more information about donating blood or future blood drives, visit the website of the Oklahoma Blood Institute at www.obi.org.

OCCC Service DayStudents looking for an opportunity to

volunteer with a worthy organization are invited to attend the Christmas Connection service day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Volunteers will meet on campus and ride in a van to the location. Contact Student Life at 405-682-7523 or stop by the Student Life office in the Main Building to reserve a spot or for more details.

Money Matters: Funding CollegeStudents can attend a workshop that will

teach important financial skills for the future. The Funding College workshop will take place at noon on Monday, Feb. 28, in CU1 in the College Union. For more information about this or other Money Matters workshops planned for spring 2011, call Student Life at 405-682-7523 or stop by their office in the on the first floor of the Main Building.

Evaluating Credible Sources

Students can attend a workshop that will teach techniques for effectively evaluating sources found on the Internet for accuracy. The workshop will be held at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, in CU2 in the College Union. Workshops last about an hour. For more information, contact Nick Webb at 405-682-1611, ext. 7678, or e-mail [email protected].

Brown Bag series-Career ExplorationA workshop on career exploration will be

held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in CU1 of the College Union. Attendees will discov-er ways to determine what careers might interest them or be a good match for them. For more information, contact Student Life at 405-682-7523 or visit their office in the Main Building.

Writes of SpringJoin the Communications Lab in celebrat-

ing the five stages of the writing process. Refreshments will be provided during a re-ception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, in the Communications Lab on the first floor of the Main Building. For more in-formation, contact the Communications Lab at 405-682-1611, ext. 7379.

Psychology Club/Psi Beta meetingThe Psychology Club and Psi Beta will

have a meeting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in room 1H2 of the Main Building. Club members will watch the video “Believ-ing is Seeing” and have a discussion after-ward.

All Highlights are due Monday by 5 p.m. for inclusion in the next issue.

Highlight forms can be picked up in the Pioneer office, located in 1F2 of

tthe Arts and Humanities building, just inside Entry 2.

GOT NEWS?

Rachel MoRRison/PioneeR

Liberal arts major Sean Watson gives blood at the blood drive in the Student Union Feb. 16. Watson said he was walking through the Union when he saw the blood drive set up and decided to help the cause by donating.

COMMUNITY | Donors can visit donation sites outside of drives

If you have community news, contact Holly Davis Walker at

[email protected] or call 405-682-1611, ext. 7675

Life donor


CAMPUS COMMUNITY CAMPUSHIGHLIGHTS

Pioneer classified advertising is free to all enrolled OCCC students and employees for any personal classified ad. Ad applications must be submitted with IDs supplied by 5 p.m. Mondays prior to the publication date. For more information, call the Ad Manager at 405-682-1611, ext. 7674, or e-mail [email protected].

FOR SALE: TI 84 & TI enspire keyboards, oper-ating systems. Used for one semester. Manual, software. $50. Call: 405-682-7804 or e-mail [email protected].

TUTORING OFFERED: Are you struggling in Chemistry or Math? Take a tutoring class with Nguyen. Call: Nguyen at 918-850-5625 or e-mail [email protected]

FOR SALE: No down payment, 3 bed, 1.5 bath, 2 car, CH&A, Move in ready, spotless, close to OU and OCCC, 227 S Bristow, Moore, OK. $87,500. Call: 405-364-8555, 405-820-3630 or e-mail [email protected].

NEED A RIDE: Looking for a ride from Norman to OCCC for Spring 2011. Willing to pay if anybody is interested. Call: Fatou-mata at 405-474-1332 or e-mail [email protected].

FOR SALE: Fresh-man books for Business & Management major. Used but in good shape and affordable price. Call: Ahmed at 405-996-0609 or e-mail [email protected].

FOR SALE: Larousse student dictionary Eng-lish-French for only $5. Useful for students. Few other books for Business major are also available. Call: Ahmed at 405-996-0609 or e-mail [email protected].

Follow us online at www.occc.edu/pioneer

FOR SALE: 19” Sam-sung television with re-mote. Older model. Cable ready. Works well and has great color. $40. Call: 405-501-8777.

FOR SALE: Gently used power wheelchair in good condition. Works well and has a zero turn radius. Only $500. Call 405-682-1611, ext. 7544, or 405-364-6051.

CLASSIFIED ads are free to ALL OCCC students and employeesCall Cynthia at

405-682-1611, ext. 7674, for details

Assessments10 & 24 Hour ADSAC

“DUI SCHOOL”State-Certified

For Court & Drivers License Reinstatement

Call: 94-DRIVE (943-7483) AT&E, INC.: check us out at www.okduischool.com

10-Hour Class- March 4, 5 & 6 F 5:30-8:45p, S/S 8:30a-12

OR March 7, 8 & 9 M/T/W 5:30-8:45pm 24-Hour Class- Start anytime, call for times

Assessments- Call for appointment

NW OKC, 3160 N. Portland

ROOM FOR RENT: Large room with access to entire house; all utilities includ-ed. Large yard and park-ing. No pets. No smokers. $450 per month. $100 deposit. Contact: [email protected] or call 405-795-0163.

GOLF CLUBS FOR SALE: Complete set of men’s Ram golf clubs with bag. Good condition. $65. Call: 405-470-3446.

DIVING SUIT FOR SALE: Red on black, Oneill brand; wet/dry #291; XXL; height 6’3”; 3mil thick; style 9073. Also have one pair of XXL“Slippery When Wet” ski trunks. Neither used. $600 for both. Contact; [email protected] or call 405-532-6991.

FEBRUARY 25, 2011 • 11PIONEER | OCCC.EDU/PIONEER

CLASSIFIEDS TODAY’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE


JEREMY CLOUDSenior [email protected]

With more than half of all OCCC classes — close to 55 percent — now being taught by adjuncts, some of those adjuncts are questioning wheth-er they are being paid fairly for their work.

“All adjuncts are paid the same amount of $640 per credit hour,” said OCCC President Paul Sechrist.

“The amount of actual pay to individual adjuncts will vary due to the number of credit hours per course and how many courses taught.”

And that rate makes OCCC adjuncts the highest paid of any two-year college in the Oklahoma City metro area, with Rose State coming in second at $630 per credit hour, followed by OSU-OKC at $600 per credit hour, Sechrist said.

He said it also places OCCC adjuncts as the second highest paid of any two-year college in the state.

But that’s not nearly enough, said an adjunct professor who asked not to be identified.

He said in order to make a living as an adjunct, a professor has to take on at least four classes a semester, he said, and some take on as many as nine.

“At that point it becomes a question of quality,” the professor said.

“Grading 80 to 90 papers a week takes a lot of time and it’s difficult to keep up the quality of the education offered to students.”

MaryBeth McCauley, English professor, agrees that it’s difficult to make a living as an adjunct.

“But most of the adjuncts I know teach for the love of teaching,” she said. “When I was an adjunct, I worked at another job as a way to pay the bills and taught on the side.”

Lisa Cox, certified rehabilitation coun-selor, agrees with this sentiment.

“I’m pleased with the salary I receive but

it is just a supplement to my full-time job as I only teach one class and don’t have to depend upon the money to make ends meet.

“I do it because I love it and the amount of the salary isn’t really an issue for me.”

But it also comes down to a question of dignity, said the unidentified professor.

“I bring my best to this job. I work hard to make sure my students get what they need.

“So why can’t I get the basic recognition of being paid a living wage for my work?”

Some part-time profs question pay scale

Game NightThe Psychology Club and Psi Beta

will host a game night at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 4, in room 1H6 of the Main Building. There will be Wii games, board games and refreshments. All students are

invited to attend.

OCCC PAYS ADJUNCT PROFESSORS MORE THAN OTHER TWO-YEAR COUNTERPARTS

“ When I was an adjunct, I worked at another job as a way to pay the

bills and taught on the side.”—marybeTh mccauley

english Professor

Read us online

www.occc.edu/pioneer

Pioneer 2011 02 25

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Transcript of Pioneer 2011 02 25